


Mixed Messages

by sarah_dude



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Imagine your OTP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 01:16:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3831772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarah_dude/pseuds/sarah_dude
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angie knew better than most the value of a hard day's work. She worked evenings at the L&L Bar and her days were spent between temp jobs and auditions. Her real dream was to pursue acting on the stage, so when the woman she'd had a crush on had given her a business card and revealed herself as a casting director, who was she to refuse the opportunity? Not an idiot, that's who.  (An 'Imagine Your OTP' scenario from Tumblr)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mixed Messages

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QuickYoke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickYoke/gifts).



"What's up with you?" Howard sat down on the empty barstool next to Peggy and nudged her shoulder. "I thought we were celebrating? Get rid of the long face already." 

Peggy played with her shot glass and looked up. "I'm fine, I don't know what you mean." She lifted her glass and the bartender came over with the bottle, refilled her glass and placed the bottle down next to her with a raised eyebrow. Peggy slammed the shot down without so much as a grimace before refilling the next one herself with a nod of appreciation to the man who'd left it there.

"Godsake Pegs, slow down. I thought you wanted the promotion."

"I do."

Howard watched her fiddle with the glass again. 

"Then spill, what on earth has got you twisted up like this?" 

Peggy turned on her barstool and blinked morosely across the room to the other, fuller, bar and the woman who was serving with a blindingly bright grin behind it. Howard turned as well and tried to figure out the odd look on his friend's face.

"The woman?"

Peggy sighed. "Angie." She wobbled on the stool ever so slightly and tipped back her next shot. 

"I'm not seeing a problem."

"She's a beautiful cinnamon roll. Too good for this world," Peggy rasped. "Too pure." 

"Jesus Peg, how drunk are you?" Howard asked. "What a second, was that a fucking _meme_?" 

Peggy swung back round to the bottle and filled up her shot glass again until Howard leaned over to intervene, spilling vodka everywhere. Peggy scowled mightily and started licking at her hand to get all the vodka.

"Stop." He placed the bottle back on the other side of the bar with a wave for the bartender to collect it. He threw a pile of napkins on the growing puddle of alcohol. "You've had more than enough Peggy." He looked at her. "When on Earth did you have enough time to learn about memes?"

"I can internet Howard." Peggy glared, sulking that her bottle had been taken away. "I... blog."

"Will wonders never cease?!" 

Peggy harrumphed. "Amaretto sour. I want an amaretto sour." She leaned forward paying no mind to the sticky vodka spill and pile of soggy napkins, trying to wave down her new best friend behind the bar. She ignored the fact that Howard had stood up and had left her with only her odd mood for company.

She only felt marginally guilty. It had been Howard's idea to come out and celebrate her promotion at her favourite bar, but her heart wasn't in it. Her heart, in fact, hadn't been in much lately. She just wanted to ignore her silly crush on a bartender that didn't even know she existed, steal the bottle of vodka, go home and celebrate her promotion with said bottle. Maybe even order a pizza. Possibly mozzarella sticks.

She nursed her new drink, and turned back to the main room to try and scout out Howard. Maybe he'd let her go home early if she continued to be miserable. She spotted him with a circle of women round him, new lipstick stains on his cheeks in the minutes that he had left her. She continued to watch in amusement until he looked her way and her raised eyebrow pulled him and his new friends back over to where she was sat. 

"Peggy this is Helen, Marge and Erica," he indicated to each one "And they have some great news for you!"

"Great news huh?" Peggy lifted her drink to her lips with a solidly raised eyebrow. "Do tell."

"Angie is gay."

Peggy choked, the amaretto sour making a painful re-emergence through her nose. 

"What?" Her eyes watered painfully and she gratefully accepted the napkin that Helen held out while Erica tried to get a tap water from the bar. "What?!" 

Howard just grinned like a cat playing with a mouse. "And single." 

Peggy continued to cough slightly sipping from the offered water, sparing a smile for the woman who had fetched it for her, suddenly feeling entirely too sober for this conversation. Oh and she'd put so much work into getting drunk. She sighed.

"Gay and single, and you want me to...what exactly? Go over and state a desire to woo her?"

Howard hit her on the arm. "Jesus Peg it's the 21st century. Give her your number." 

She squinted. "My number?"

"Yeah it's this thing that your mobile phone has that you give to people so that they contact you at a later date."

"Have I ever mentioned you're a dick, Howard?"

Howard smiled wolfishly. "Constantly, but that's because I'm normally right." 

Peggy just looked at him.

"Except for all the times I'm terribly terribly wrong, but this won't be one of those times, Peg," he implored, smiling winningly. He spared a glance at the women surrounding him before leaning in slightly and lowering his voice, sincerity in every word. "Trust me." And then, "Is this about Steve? Because..."

"No, no," Peggy bristled. "I'm over that, it's been 5 years."

"Yeah and you haven't dated anyone since. Peggy, if I'm pushing too much here tell me, but I just want to see you happy. You're not happy." 

The mention of Steve had thrown Peggy for a loop. Normally Howard would heavily hint at the name or raise a knowing eyebrow, more often than not opting against bringing Peggy's late fiance into the conversation. He had been Peggy's first love, and would have been her only, had he not crashed an experimental aircraft over the Antarctic. Peggy's heart still ached deep inside, but the pain no longer crippled her as it once had years ago. She broke eye contact with Howard to look back over to Angie. Maybe it was time to put herself out there again.

Peggy sighed and held out her hand. "Well then?" At Howard's look of confusion she continued, "I need a pen."

"Yes!" Howard handed her a pen from his jacket pocket. "Oh Pegs! You won't regret this!"

She tried not to smile at Howard's enthusiasm."And something to write on?" She looked around but it seemed like all the spare napkins in the area had been either used on her or the vodka spill.

"Here." Marge reached into her bag, and pulled a card out. "You can use this."

Peggy dashed a quick line through the existing contact number, not even bothering to glance at the other information, and flipped it over to write 'Peggy' in a loopy, barely coherent writing and scrawled her number underneath it. 

"Right then, shall we?"

The four all squealed in excitement, including Howard who added an interesting little arm wave that made him look like a penguin trying to fly. Peggy just rolled her eyes and stood, slipping gracefully off the barstool. At least, that's what she planned on doing. Her standing involved more falling, and her sliding involved more landing in Howard's arms and both were done with little to no grace. 

"Feeling those shots now, huh Peg?"

"Nonsense," Peggy huffed out. "Dead leg is all." 

She righted herself and straightened the suit she'd been wearing all day. While her outfit and been smart and practical enough for the office, she hadn't spared any time changing clothes even after Howard had suggested celebrating her promotion. 

Trying not to be too self conscious of her wrinkled shirt and the smell of about 4 different alcoholic beverages that had permeated the outfit, Peggy hovered near the end of the bar Angie had been working behind. Howard and his new friends had opted for the other end of the bar. If they were trying to be subtle they were failing, all four looking over at her and giggling, Howard in particular going so far as to hold both hands high in the air, waving with thumbs up. 

Angie was the epitome of professional. Peggy watched as she went flying from customer to customer, grin never wavering and her quick wit making each person laugh at her clever quips, staying long enough for the customer to feel special but not too long that the next person became disgruntled. She was, in a word, captivating. 

The crowd was slowly dying down and Peggy decided to make her move from hovering at the very end of the bar to leaning against it and Angie immediately came to her smiling. 

"Decided what you wanted yet, honey?" 

Peggy opened her mouth and nothing came out. Why was nothing coming out? 

"Uhhhhh?"

Angie's smiled widened. "Amaretto sour amiright?" Peggy blinked. "Or Vodka shot?" Peggy just blinked again, catching Howard face palm out of the corner of her eye. Angie just continued, "Sorry, couldn't help notice your drinks earlier." She indicated with her chin to the other bar. "Occupational hazard." She put her hands on the bar and drummed her fingers. Peggy shook herself out of her stupor. 

"Shot. Uh, please." 

Angie perked up. "Sure thing." She spun round, picking up the glass with practiced ease, and flipped it in the air with one hand and caught it again while she picked up the vodka bottle with the other. With a flourish she turned back to Peggy and with a wink she spun the bottle in the air impressively, putting the glass on the bar surface. She then proceeded to roll the bottle down her arm before flicking and catching it one last time. She poured it out and with another flick the bottle was back to spinning through the air, defying physics. "On the house." 

Before Peggy could say anything else, Angie had left another wink and stepped away to serve the another patron. Peggy just looked at the drink sitting on the bar top and didn't even pick it up. She leant forward to look down the bar at Howard. He nodded encouragingly waving his hands in all sorts of motions trying to communicate with her. He'd gained more lipstick stains and lost some of Peggy's confidence in him.

Peggy nodded to herself. She deserved to do this for herself, she picked up the drink and downed it, setting it back on the bar and picking out the card she'd written on, flicking it nervously between her fingers. Angie was back in a flash, eager smile in place and a bounce in her step.

"Anything else I can get ya?"

Peggy stood a little higher on her toes and summoned all the liquid courage she'd taken. "Yes." She held out the card leaning over the bar slightly. "Call me." 

Angie took the card, their fingers brushing slightly in the exchange and Peggy fought off the urge to shiver at the sensation. Angie looked down at the writing and back up to Peggy and she admired the sly smirk which worked its way across Angie's lips and she felt herself flush. Angie's mouth broke out into a wider grin at the blush.

"Sure thing." 

At that, Peggy practically fled back to Howard, feeling Angie's eyes on her the entire time. When she reached him, he held his hand up to high five her, and she pulled it down glaring.

"Well come on, Director, we have a promotion and more to continue celebrating."

"Ah yes, Howard, about that..." Peggy still just wanted pizza. Definitely the mozzarella sticks. Maybe even wedges. 

\---

Angie knew better than most the value of a hard day's work. She worked evenings at the L&L Bar and her days were spent between temp jobs and auditions. Her real dream was to pursue acting on the stage, so when the woman she'd had a crush on had given her a business card and revealed herself as a casting director, who was she to refuse the opportunity? Not an idiot, that's who. 

Anige sighed and picked up the card that she'd wedged in the corner of her mirror and looked at the writing again. She'd called the woman the very next morning after she'd gotten in from her shift, and Peggy had sounded delighted to hear from her so soon and had arranged to meet up at an edgy bistro a few blocks away from where Angie lived. 

She flipped the card over and read the printed word's on the other side. _'Margaret F. Jones. Casting Director.'_ was embossed impressively in gold with an email and contact number for her office underneath. They'd been scored through by a single line of pen, and Angie hoped this was a good sign; Peggy had given her a direct number instead of a generic one. She tucked the card into her her wallet just in case she needed it later. 

She was trying not to feel disappointed, she really was. Here was her opportunity to start acting more than bit roles and be in more than just the background of that one mouthwash commercial (her Ma had taped the damn thing and now she was reminded of her failings at least every other Sunday), but if she was honest, for a split second after Peggy had handed over her card she thought the other woman was asking her out on a date and her heart had flown. She had served the woman a few times before at the bar, and although Peggy was always the epitome of polite and a good tipper, Angie didn't even know if the woman remembered her. 

Angie looked at herself in the mirror and appraised herself; the sundress was light enough for the heat outside, but still looked professional enough to be meeting for a potential job interview. Her sandal heels were low enough that her feet wouldn't ache and her make up was light and natural. She smiled at her reflection and re-pinned a section of her hair so that the curls were smart and not falling on her face.

"Angie," she said to her reflection. "Just...contain the gay." 

She nodded. It was time to do this.

The walk was pleasant enough, and gave her time to work up genuine excitement about meeting up with a casting director. She had never been approached by a talent agency before. She was the one who usually kept an ear to the ground and ran around to auditions trying to put herself out there. She bit her lip, not quite knowing what to expect of the meeting.

She waited on the pavement outside the bistro, enjoying the sun, hesitant to go inside just yet since she was a few minutes early. Swinging her handbag around slightly, Angie tilted her head back and soaked in some warmth. 

"Ow!"

Her bag collided with something. She spun around. "Oh shit, I'm so sorry." She reached out to try and help and stopped abruptly.

Correction, her bag had collided with someone. The very person she was meant to be meeting, in fact. The very person who was clad in the most divine suit Angie had ever been blessed to see on a woman. Clearly tailored for the woman's body specifically, the blazer wasn't overly bulky and hugged close to the dip of her waist and the skirt clung to the curve of her thighs, followed the line of her leg down where it then stopped, kissing the skin of the woman's knees. 

Angie was staring. She knew she was staring. Angie couldn't stop staring. 

The woman held her hand out with a pleased grin. "Angie, right?" 

Angie nodded, and tried to straighten herself out. "Yes Ma’am. Margaret, pleasure." 

The woman tilted her head slightly, an odd expression passing across her face. "Oh, please, call me Peggy." She indicated the the bistro doors. "Shall we?" 

Angie nodded, and walked towards the door and held it open for Peggy to walk through. "After you!" Peggy smiled enigmatically and walked through letting Angie trail in after muttering to herself ever so softly under her breath. "Conceal, don't feel." Her eyes drifted down to watch the mesmerising sway of Peggy's hips in time with her steps before resolutely bringing her eyes back up to stare at the back of her head. "Don't let it show."

They sat down on a table in the corner, windows on both sides, with a low hanging industrial light fixture. The table and chair were an eclectic mix up upcycled and vintage furniture and Angie tried not to be intimidated by the setting. She had always wanted to come here, but the place was a little too fancy her her to afford a trip for the sake of it, and a special occasion had never risen for her to treat herself. 

She sat opposite Peggy and tried not to fidget so reached out to look at the drinks menu, but realised there was only one. 

"Drink?" She offered the drink menu to Peggy, but the other woman just smiled.

"You know what I like, what would you recommend?" 

Angie nearly died at the suggestive lilt of Peggy's voice, _'contain the gay'_ swimming around in her head and it occurred to her that it might be some sort of test to set the groundwork of the interview. 

"Something we can share?" Peggy smiled, so she took it as approval, "And since it is a beautiful day..." She indicated out to the clear blue sky outside, and then to Peggy herself. "And you are English so..." She glanced down to the menu, pleased that what she wanted was on there. "Pitcher of Pimms?" Peggy groaned in pleasure and Angie tried her best not to outwardly appear like she was praying for strength. 

"God, Pimms sounds amazing actually." Peggy waved the waiter down and placed the order which gave Angie exactly no time to gather herself. The sun was shining in through the window at such an angle that is was doing sinful things to Peggy's profile and hitting her hair so that it practically glowed. 

Peggy looked back at her and smiled. "So, tell me about yourself!" Angie noticed how Peggy had picked up a sugar packet and was mindlessly twirling it between her fingers. 

"Oh not much to tell recently, work the L&L at night, as you know." Peggy blushed slightly which Angie found odd yet endearing. "Auditions most days. Well, when I don't temp to pick up extra for the bills." Angie laughed, "Ah the life of a thespian!" 

Peggy chuckled back at her poor joke and asked, to Angie's confusion, if she had been in anything she might have seen. Angie had assumed that the woman must have seen some of her work to approach her with a casting opportunity, but took it in her stride however and decided to fill her possible employer in on every role she had done, dating back to high school performances much to the other woman's delight. 

It was the strangest interview Angie had ever been to, but she couldn't help but relax after glass after glass of Pimms, and soon enough they had a third and then a fourth pitcher delivered. They shared a seemingly endless amount of laughter and Angie hoped that even if she didn't get the role she'd be able to see the woman again, in a distinctly less professional setting. Naked and flushed in her bed seemed like a good place, but that could have just been the Pimms talking. 

Angie made another terrible joke and Peggy let her head fall back in laughter, grasping the material of the collar on her shirt as she did so and Angie decided that it definitely wasn't just the Pimms. 

"This has been fun!" Peggy gasped out and then tilted her head and pinned Angie with a look that suddenly made her feel very exposed. It was like Peggy could suddenly read her every thought and the atmosphere shifted subtly from light to something heavy, something tangible. "I don't get to go to the theatre nearly as often as I'd like, but..." Peggy hesitated "Not to seem forward, but it seems that maybe I'll have a reason to see some more now?" 

Angie bloomed at the comment. It definitely seemed like Peggy was implying that there was a role in a play she wanted to cast Angie in. "Be as forward as you like," Angie joked. 

"I'd like to do this again sometime." Peggy blurted out. She looked a little stunned, almost like she had taken herself by surprise. "I was nervous, but, I really like you Angie." Peggy started toying with the sugar packet again.

"Does this mean I've got the job?" 

Peggy dropped the sugar packet and Angie cursed herself at being too eager.

"Job?"

Angie shuffled awkwardly in her chair, trying not to squirm too much under the glare Peggy was pinning her with. "Uh, yeah? The casting job?" 

Peggy's colour drained from her cheeks and she was suddenly devoid of any tipsy blush that had stained her cheeks only moments before. "What job?"

Angie fished the business card out of her bag and handed it over to Peggy. "You're not Margaret Jones, Casting Director?" 

Peggy just stared at the card, her mouth working to make sounds, but none were coming out until...

"Shit." 

Angie snorted inelegantly. 

"Shit." Peggy finally looked up from the card. "I'm so sorry Angie, I borrowed this from my friend, well, a woman my _actual_ friend was 'acquainted' with, and I don't know how much of a friend he'll be after this but...." 

"Hold it." Angie lifted her hand to cut Peggy's rambling off mid stream. "You're not a casting director?"

"Ah, no?"

"And there is no job I'm interviewing for here?"

Peggy shook her head. "None I'm afraid."

"But wait," Angie reached out and picked the card up again, waving it slightly. "That guy you were with called you 'Director'?" She couldn't help the small whine that worked it's way into her question. 

"Well I am a director..." At Angies confused pout, Peggy hastened to expand as quickly as possible. "I'm the Director of a government agency." 

Angie began to rub the pads of her fingers in small circles next to her eyes to fend off the headache that was beginning to bloom. "Didn't you think it odd when I asked you about scripts earlier?"

Peggy shrugged. "I thought it might have been an odd quirk."

Angie added pressure to the circles against her temple.

"And when I asked if you had certain costuming in mind?!"

"Now," Peggy started, laughing slightly, "I did have a good answer for that, but I thought it might have been a little soon for _that_ conversation." 

Angie laughed suddenly and loudly, too loudly for the small space.

"This isn't a job interview?" She clarified.

"No?" Peggy winced.

Angie could have floated away from a weird mixture of relief and pure embarrassment if the answer to her next question wasn't vitally important. 

"What was this then?"

Peggy swallowed heavily and slowly, deliberately. She picked the sugar packet up again and toyed with it as if debating what she should say.

"Well... you see, I was hoping maybe that this was possibly, perhaps, maybe..."

"Peggy."

"A date? A date. It was a date, but Angie I completely understand if you want to leave, you clearly agreed to meet me under different circumstances and I'm so sorry that there was a confusion involved and..."

"English, shut up, you talk too much." Angie reached out and lay her hand on top of Peggy's. "You wanted to date me?" 

"Well," Peggy smiled hesitantly and shrugged self deprecatingly, "Still do really." 

Angie tipped back her head and sighed. "You listened to me talking about myself and my failed acting for three hours and still wanted a second date?" Angie shook her head and chuckled. "How'd I get so lucky?!" 

They looked at each other, both slowly regaining their pleased flushes and Angie began to feel quite shy. Peggy began to look like she couldn't quite believe her good fortune.

"I was being honest when I said I enjoyed this. Slight confusion aside.." she smiled, "Big, _huge_ confusion aside, I'd like to take you out again."

Angie felt like she wouldn't stop grinning for a week. "Yeah, sure thing Pegs." She wove her fingers together with Peggy's and enjoyed how the move made Peggy swallow and shift in her chair. "Maybe you can actually tell me something about you! Maybe explain to me how you can look so good in that suit, because seriously, you're too hot," She gave her heavy lidded once over to prove her point. "Hot damn."

Peggy chuckled and faux fanned herself. "Why, Angie. Did you just _meme_ me?"

**Author's Note:**

> "One of us thinks its a date but the other thinks its a job interview" 
> 
> Because Roman is trash and I love her. Also eternally grateful to Chillyflame for the beta and the help she gave me in planning this. 
> 
> I'm taking prompts over on tumblr so come join that party @ delightfullyambiguous


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